Pencil.



F. M. CARROLL.

PENCIL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-18.1912.

R. .0 7 WW N m OI M my Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

I V/ T N 555' FRED M. CARROLL, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

rEncIL.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

Application filed September 18, 1912. Serial No. 721,030.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED M. CARROLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencils, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relatesto pencils of the type in which the lead is protruded from a casing as it becomes worn in use as distinguished from the more common type, 1n which the material around the lead is cut away to expose it when the pencil needs sharpening.

One of the objections to the last mentioned type of pencils is the practical inability to use up near the whole length of the lead on account of the pencil shortening as the lead is used and becoming too short for pract1- cal use before the latter is gone. This results in practice in the pencils being discarded long before the lead in themis used up. In pencils of the class to which this invention relates their length remains substantiall constant, the leads being protruded i' rom their casings as they are Worn away in use and this protruding of the lead can" continue until the lead is substantially all used up.

One of theobjects of this invention is to construct a pencil of the first mentionedtype to which it relates, that is simple in construction and operation and not easily gotten out of order. It was also an object to make such a pencil that could be produced at a sufficiently low cost as to compete on the market with the common type of pencils.

Briefly, I accomplish the above objects by mounting in a longitudinal opening in a pencil casing an internally threaded tube having connections with a sleeve on the exterior of the casing for rotation thereby but not. adapted for longitudinal movement in the casing. A screw threaded plug works in the interior of the tube and this is con structed to non-rotatably connect with one end of a lead inserted in the tube. The other end of the lead passes through a split bushing rigidly mounted in the casing at the end of the tube and extending from the end of the casing. As this split sleeve does not rotate in the casing, it holds the. lead from rotation in the latter. The lead is free to rotate in the tube, however, and if the latter is rotated with respect to the casing, it will also be rotated with respect to a screw threaded plug in it which through the lead and the latter split sleeve non-,rotatively connects with the casing. The rotation of the tube will thus cause longitudinal movement of the plug and this plug Wlll force the lead longitudinally of the latter through the split sleeve and from the end of the pencil.

In the drawings which accompany and form part of this application I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention but the invention is not to be confined to this form of embodiment, as it is capable of being carried out in other forms all coming within the scope of my invention.

In the drawings,

F1gure 1 represents a longitudinal sectlonal View of my improved pencil.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the sleeve for rotating the tube and its connections with the lead inclosing tube.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view showing a portion ofthe screw threaded tube with its screw plug therein and the lead slightly separated longitudinally from operative relationship with the plug.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the split bushing which holds the lead against rotation, and showing the lead in place therein and the reduction of the diameter of the bushing in one end exaggerated.

In the drawings, 1 represents the casing of the pencil through which passes a longitudinal bore 2. Mounted within the bore 2 for rotation therein isthe internally screw threaded tube 3 which extends from the upper end of the casing to near its lower or pointed end. This tube has a head 4 at its upper end of a diameter substantially equal to that of the casing and rigidly mounted on the periphery of this head is the sleeve 5 which projects upwardly to form a recess for receiving an eraser 6, and downwardly to surround the upper end of the casing. The downwardly projecting portion has a peripheral depression 7 for engaging in a peripheral groove in the casing. In this way the sleeve is rotatively mounted on the casing but is not adapted for longitudinal movement relative thereto. As the head 4 of the tube 3 is made rigid with the sleeve 5, the tube may be rotated in the bore 2 of the casing by merely rotating the sleeve 5.

The tube 3 is adapted to loosely receive the lead 8 but the. latter is quite firmly held movement of the at the lower end of the pencil by a short split bushing 9 rigidly mounted in the pointed end of the casing and extending upwardly so as to be separated from the lower end of the tube 3 by only a short distance indicated by reference character 10. The split sleeve projects slightly beyond the lower end 11 of the casing andthe end of the lead 8 when in condition for use projects slightly below the projecting end of the split sleeve 9. The upper end 12 of the lead is wedge shaped for engaging in a V shaped notch 13 extending transversely through one end of the plug 14 screw threaded on its periphery for cooperating with the internal screw threads in the tube 3. As was stated above, the lead 8 is held too firmly by the split sleeve 9 to be easily rotated therein and with the wedge shaped end 12 engaging the notch 13 in the plug 14, the latter Wlll also be held from rotation with respect to the split sleeve 9 and casing 1. Consequently, if the sleeve 5 is rotated relative to the casing, the tube 3 will be rotated relative to the plug 14 and this relative rotation of the plug and tube through their threaded connections will cause the former to be moved longitudinally in the matter and push the lead throu h the sleeve 9 and from thecasing if the s eeve 5 is rotated in the right hand direction.

From the description of the parts 'ven above, the operation of this device sho d be very readily understood. The tube 3 is rotatably mounted in'the longitudinal opening of the casing 1. The sleeve 5 is rigidly connected with the upper end of the tube 3 and said sleeve is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the casing 1. Hence, the tube can be turned in the casing by manipulation of the sleeve 5. The tube 3 is internally threaded throughout its length and the externally threaded plug 14 is disposed within the tube with its threads e ging the threads of the tube. The split s lie iwe 9 is rigidly carried by the lower end of the casing 1 and, when a lead Sis inserted in the tube 3, its lower end is gripped by the split sleeve 9 so as normally to prevent the rota.- tlon of the lead relative to the casing. The gripping action of this split sleeve 9 is such that, while it normally prevents the rotation of the lead due to its frictional resistance,

it permits a longitudinal movement of the lead as it is fed from the pencil. The upper wedge shaped end 12 of the lead engages a wedge shaped recess 13 in the screw plug 14 so that the plug and the lead are connected together in such a way as to revent the rotation of one relative to the ot er. Since the lower end of the lead 8 is held against rotation by the split sleeve 9, it will be evident that the plug 14 is also held against rotationnelative to the casing. As a result, when the tube 3 is rotated by means of the sleeve 5, it will turn with reference to the plug 14 and, due to the screw threaded engagement of the plug 14 with the inte rior of the tube 3, the plug will travel longitudinally of the tube and, when the plug is rotated in the proper direction, the plug 11 will force the lead 8 downwardly in the casing to extend a fresh portion thereof- 1n position for writing. The split sleeve 9 acts frictionally to prevent the rotation of the lead 8 relative to the casing but it is not essential to my invention that the lead 8 should be held against rotation relative to the casing by frictional means. Any means which holds the lead 8 against rotation while permitting the longitudinal movement of the lead will suffice.

My improved pencil is used in the same way as those of known form, it differing from the known forms mainly in the manner of protruding the lead from the casing as the lead is worn away. When the lead of my pencil becomes worn down all that is necessary to put. the pencil in condition for further use is to rotate the sleeve on the casing. This rotation of the sleeve similarly rotates the threaded tube and since the backing plug for the lead is held from rotation by the latter, the rotation of the tube will move the plug and lead longitudinally to project a little more of the lead from the end of the pencil, thus putting the pencil in condition for further use.

While I have used the term lead in this description in referring to the markin material. I do not desire by this use tofiim't my invention, as other kinds of marki substance can well be substituted in this mvention for lead.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a writing instrument, the combination of a hollow casing, an internally.

threaded tube rotatively mounted in the casing, a sleeve on the exterior of the casing and connected with the tube whereby the latter may be rotated in the casing by turningethe sleeve, a screw threaded p ug in the tu engaging the threads thereof, a lead in the tube non-rotatively connected with the plug, and means for normally preventing the rotation of the lead relative to the casing.

-2. In a writing instrument, the combination of a hollow casing, an internally threaded tube rotatively mounted in the casing, a sleeve on the exterior of the casing and connected with the tube whereby the latter may be rotated in the casin by turnin the sleeve, a screw threaded p ug inthe tu engaging the threads thereof, a lead in the tube non-r'otatively connected with the plug, and a bushing 1n the casing surrounding the lead and frictionally holding the latter against rotation whereb when the tube is rotated in one direction t e plug and lead will be forced longitudinally to protrude the lead from the casing.

3. In a writing instrument, the combination of a hollow casing, an internally threaded tube mounted for rotation in the casing, means for rotating the tube, an externally threaded plug in the tube engaging the threads thereof and having a noncircularrecess in one of its ends, a lead in the tube and easing having a non-circular end .for engaging the recess in the plug,-and means for normally preventing the rotation of the lead relative to the casing.

4. In a writing instrument, the combination of. a hollow casing, an internally threaded tube rotatively mounted therein, means for rotating the tube, an externally threaded plug in the tube engaging the threads thereof and having a non-clrcular recess in. one of its ends, a lead in the tube and casin and having a non-circular end for engaging the recess in the plug, and a clutch rigid with the casing frictionally engaging the lead to retard rotation of the 7 lead relative the casing. 5. In a pencil, the combination with a casing having a longitudinal opening therethrough, of an internally mounted for rotation in said opening and having an exposedfinger piece whereby the tube may be turned, a plug having threads in engagement with the threads in the tube, a lead mounted in the tube andnon-rotatively connected at one of its ends with the plug, and means for preventing the rotation of the lead relative to the casing.

6. In a writing instrument, the combination of a casing, an internally threaded tube rotatively mounted therein, means for rotating the tube, a lead in the tube, and an externally threaded screw plug in the tube engaging the threads thereof and abutting the rear end of said lead, said screw plug being non-rotatably connected with the case ing through said lead. 4 I

In testimony whereof I affix'my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRED M. CARROLL.

threaded tube 

